The following song speaks of us dwelling in Beulah Land. And the word “Beulah” means “thou art married.” And, it is often considered a symbol of our heavenly dwelling with our husband, Jesus Christ. We are his bride, and he is our husband. The word is found in Isaiah 62:4, which says, “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.”

So, who is this speaking about under the New Covenant? It is speaking about all who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, who have been crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. We are those who are pursuing our Lord daily, who deny self, who are dying to sin daily, and who are following our Lord in obedience to his commands (New Covenant).

[Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-32; Luke 9:23-26]

For when we believe in Jesus Christ, we enter into a marriage covenant relationship with him. He becomes our husband and we become his bride (male and female), and now we live to please him and no longer to please our sinful flesh, in practice. And now he lives within us in the person of the Holy Spirit and we are to be in fellowship with him. Sin is to no longer be our practice, but righteousness and godliness and obedience to our Lord are to be what we practice, as his followers. For this is the life of a Christian.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 5:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

So we want the Lord to teach us to number our days that we may get hearts of wisdom. We must not take God and his word lightly, but we must take every promise, and every condition for every promise, and every warning given to the church seriously and to act accordingly. We are to consider that none of us knows how long we will live or if tomorrow will ever come for us. We can’t just assume that we will live to our old age and then die. And I am getting up there, for I just turned 74 years of age the last day of the year.

We must accept the disciplines of the Lord in our lives as for our good, even though painful. For when he disciplines us with trials and tribulations, they are ultimately for our good to teach us wisdom, and to teach us his ways, and to train us in righteousness and holiness and to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14). For we were created in Christ Jesus for good works God prepared for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10).

So, we are to walk in the ways of the Lord in obedience to his commands. And we are to be the people of God he created us to be, and in good times and in bad times. We must not let our faith falter just because we are called upon to suffer for the sake of righteousness. For through our suffering we learn obedience and patience and steadfastness. And we learn to rely on God and not on ourselves. And we grow to maturity in Christ and we develop godly character and wisdom so that we can walk in his ways and not in sin.

For God called us to himself so that we will serve him with our lives and not self. He has an assignment for each one of us to fulfill who have trusted in him as Lord and as Savior of our lives. And we are to be fulfilling that God-given assignment in his power and strength and wisdom. And all of us are to be sharing the truth of the gospel with other people, and we are all to be encouraging one another daily in our walks of faithful obedience to our Lord, and we are to caution one another against falling back into sin.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]

Dwelling In Beulah Land

By Miles C Austin (1911)

Far away the noise of strife upon my ear is falling;
Then I know the sins of earth beset on every hand;
Doubt and fear and things of earth in vain to me are calling;
None of these shall move me from Beulah Land.

Far below the storm of doubt upon the world is beating,
Sons of men in battle long the enemy withstand;
Safe am I within the castle of God’s word retreating,
Nothing there can reach me, ’tis Beulah Land.

Let the stormy breezes blow, their cry cannot alarm me;
I am safely sheltered here, protected by God's hand;
Here the sun is always shining, nothing there can harm me;
I am safe forever in Beulah Land.

Viewing here the works of God, I sink in contemplation;
Hearing now His blessed voice, I see the way He planned;
Dwelling in the Spirit, here I learn of full salvation,
Gladly I will tarry in Beulah Land.

I'm living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky,
I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry;
Oh, yes! I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply,
For I am dwelling in Beulah Land.

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Hello, I pray you are well. My questions are based on what might be universally agreed on, on the subject of the unpardonable sin. This is NOT a post asking what the unpardonable sin is; this post is different.

I have a decent understanding of what I believe the unpardonable sin may be at this point, but I am also very aware that this sin has been interpreted in many ways throughout the centuries, and still is interpreted different ways throughout the Church. To be honest, I understand why there are different interpretations, as this is not a clear verse. What has helped me in my understanding of what the unpardonable sin is, is Biblical hermeneutics. For instance there are SO many verses that make it very clear, that someone can’t believe in Jesus as their Messiah, or even want to be a Christian IF they had committed the unpardonable sin. Scripture also shows that God will never turn anyone away, so this means someone would not seek Jesus as their Savior IF they had committed this sin.

This leads to my questions.

1. Is it universally agreed by theologians, pastors, priests, scholars, that someone could not want to become a Christian, follow Jesus, repent of all their sins, and want to devote their entire lives to Him and leave everything at the Cross, if they had already committed the unpardonable sin?

2. Is it universally agreed upon that you can’t want to be a Christian and believe in Jesus as the Messiah if the unforgivable sin was committed?… and authors of articles just don’t always add that into their interpretation explanation?

I just need to know if I am missing something, because if I’m not and the experts are in agreement on this aspect, then it seems this should always be the route we take to help those who really fear this sin.

New member!
Hi everyone, I was baptized in a Southern Baptist church circa 1960 but I did not experience a spiritual conversion until I had a Road to Damascus experience in January, 2018. That same month, I began an ongoing layman's study of church history. My main interest cover what I personally refer to as the Apostolic period from circa 50 AD to 200 AD and the Reformation period circa 1517 up to Bill Bright. I particularly enjoy learning about 1) what those early Christians believed and taught and 2) the origins of certain Protestant beliefs and phrases. I became a Latin Rite Catholic, Easter, 2019. I look forward, in charity, to learning new things and sharing things I've learned along the way. God bless.

A new surge of migrants at the US-Mexico border is overwhelming already-stretched resources and prompting urgent talks with Mexican officials as December border crossings reached a record monthly high.
Border authorities encountered more than 225,000 migrants along the US-Mexico border this month, marking the highest monthly total recorded since 2000, according to preliminary Homeland Security statistics shared with CNN. Over the course of the month, authorities dealt with more than 10,000 migrants crossing daily until more recently, when the numbers began to drop.
More than 11,700 migrant children are also in federal government custody, according to data released jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security.
The number of migrant children in Health and Human Services custody has jumped 6.5% since December 1, prompting the department to issue a news release Friday saying additional capacity is “urgently needed to manage the increasing numbers of unaccompanied children” arriving at the US southern border.
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is heading to Eagle Pass, Texas, along the southern border January 8 for an “operational visit” regarding immigration enforcement efforts, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday. He will meet with officials with Customs and Border Protection as well as US Border Patrol and local officials.
Since last year, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has bused more than 92,000 migrants to cities across the country, according to his office. Those cities include Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, DC – all of which are led by Democratic mayors.

Even US cities far from the Mexican border are reaching a breaking point trying to manage the influx of migrants, several mayors told CNN on Friday.
“The international crisis that we are experiencing right now is being subsidized by local economies,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told “CNN This Morning” Friday.

This article says studies show it is.
According to multiple reports, research has shown that a secular upbringing may be healthier for children. According to a 2010 Duke University study, kids raised this way display less susceptibility to racism and peer pressure, and are “less vengeful, less nationalistic, less militaristic, less authoritarian, and more tolerant, on average, than religious adults.” But the list of benefits doesn’t stop there.
I'm suspicious of the study. While I think that the religious right might be promoting vengeance, nationalism, militarism, and authoritarianism, and while I think that all those character traits are negative, I think that a kinder, gentler, more progressive religious faith provides a good ethical framework for adulthood and beyond.
What do you think?

‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:19‬ ‭KJV‬
[19] Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

I write:
‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:12‬ ‭KJV‬
[12] I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

I have ears to hear and eyes to see and mouth to speak.

‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:4‬ ‭KJV‬
[4] Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

I am precious in his sight. I am honorable, I am loved.

‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:22‭-‬24‬ ‭KJV‬
[22] It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, Because his compassions fail not. [23] They are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness. [24] The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; Therefore will I hope in him.

I write: Therefore for me the Hope will be sufficient therof.

‭Revelation‬ ‭21:5‬ ‭KJV‬
[5] And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

I write: my words are true and faithful on earth as it is in heaven.

‭Ask God to reveal himself in new, fresh, and powerful ways.

Did some religious people want a conservative supreme court so much that they were willing to vote for a deeply immoral political leader?

There was a slogan from long ago VOTE YOUR VALUES that meant Christians should let their moral principles lead them in their choice of a candidate for the house, senate, and presidency as well as governor, state legislature, judges and every other elected position.

Voting isn't a biblical phenomenon, so the voting question has to be decided by other teachings from scripture or tradition that link personal choices with religious morality.

The Bible uses this word “if” on purpose, for it means that what follows is a conditional clause. It is saying, “on the condition that…”. So we need to pay close attention to these “if” clauses. For this is not assuming that everyone reading this truly is “in Christ.” It is saying, “if anyone is in Christ” then the following is true. But not everyone who thinks he is “in Christ” is truly “in Christ,” for not everyone who professes Christ meets the conditions.

For the old to truly pass away and for the new to come, we must cooperate with God’s work of grace in our lives in dying with him to sin so that we can be resurrected with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Then we must cooperate with him in no longer allowing sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it ends in death.

For Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might now live for him and no longer for self. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we can now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands and in holy living; so that we now live morally pure, honest, and faithful lives in surrender to his will for our lives.

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]

For to be reconciled to God means that I decisively change, exchange, as when two parties reconcile when changing to the same position; usually used in a redemptive sense of a sinner reconciling to the Lord; to change from enmity with God to friendship, fellowship, and partnership with God. It is about exchanging the old life for the new life in Christ Jesus. For we die with Christ to sin and now we walk in his holiness in obedience to him.

[Ephesians 2:16; Ephesians 5:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:11-20; Romans 5:10-11; Romans 11:15; Colossians 1:22]

So, when this says that the old has passed away and that the new has come, this is not automatic based on a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. And it is not merely a status that we wear. It means that we have literally left our old lives of living in sin and for self behind us so that we can now follow Jesus Christ in walks of obedience to his commands. It means we are no longer walking in sin but in holiness, moral purity, honesty, and faithfulness.

So, if we are still walking in sin, still deliberately and habitually sinning against the Lord and against other humans, and if we are not walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands (New Covenant), in practice, then we are not “in Christ.” For the Scriptures teach that if this is our condition that we are not in fellowship with Christ, we don’t even know God, we are not born of God, but we are of the devil, and we will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

But it is true that is not of our own doing, not of the will nor of the flesh of man. This is of God. Even the faith to believe in Jesus Christ comes from God and is gifted to us by God and is not of our own doing. And this faith is persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness and of our sinfulness and of our need to forsake our sins to follow our Lord in obedience. But we have to cooperate with God’s work of grace in our lives, in his power.

So, when Paul said that he and Timothy, as ambassadors for Christ, implored the Corinthian church to be reconciled to God, he was speaking of their need to forsake their sins, to deny self, to die daily to sin, and to follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. For that is the essence of the gospel message. For Jesus became sin for us on that cross in order to put our sin to death with him so that we will no longer live in sin but for righteousness.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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Hello. I am in desperate need. I believe, based on scripture, that I have committed the unpardonable sin (Heb 10:26-29; Numbers 15:24-31; Hebrews 6:4-6; 2 Peter 2:20-22). I am guilty of willful, intentional sin. I am under constant and obsessive thoughts of my condemnation. I don’t know how I can live this way without going crazy. I know I have no one to blame and God is just.

I am taking wagers here.

This OP is NOT about whether Noah's flood was global or not. I'm assuming you think that it was. This post is about wagering on what you believe.

Let proposition P1 = Noah's flood was global.
P2 = Noah's flood was not global but regional.

Between 0 and 10, how much weight do you put on each of the above propositions? The stronger your belief in a proposition, the higher the weight.

Are you willing to wager based on your weighting scheme?

This is not a lotto/gambling bet. This is a bet to scientifically measure the strength of your belief. Put your money where your mouth is. I am interested in finding out the strength of your belief mathematically. See Subjective (Bayesian) Probability.

You can say that the moon is made of cheese. Words are cheap unless you are willing to bet on it.

I don't have anyone to quote, but let's think about it what it means to us.

On the eve of the first anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s death, his biographer, Peter Seewald, raised serious concerns about how Pope Francis is managing the legacy of his predecessor.

“Benedict trusted Francis. But he was bitterly disappointed several times,” Seewald said in an interview published Dec. 27.

Pope Francis may have written “nice letters” to his predecessor and described him as a “great pope,” Seewald told the New Daily Compass. However, in practice, he said, he has “erased much of what was precious and dear to Ratzinger.”

“If you really speak of a ‘great pope’ out of conviction, shouldn’t you do everything you can to cultivate his legacy? Just as Benedict XVI did with regard to John Paul II? As we can see today, Pope Francis has, in fact, done very little to remain in continuity with his predecessors,” Seewald said.

Instead, the South American and Jesuit pope wanted to erase much of “what was dear to Ratzinger,” according to the Benedict biographer.

‘Stabbed in the heart’​

Continued below.

"In a statement issued Sunday, Secaucus, N.J., Mayor Michael Gonnelli said at least four buses carrying migrants dropped them off at the train station in Secaucus over the weekend. The migrants then boarded trains into New York City."


I sure hope Texas does not have to pick up the extra tab for trains but the process needs to continue. Joe Biden is flaunting the law and is going to continue violating his oath of office until enough Democrats squawk about their inconveniences. The faster the border policy changes the more children can be saved from sex trafficking and/or death.

I know some people who listen to mostly Christian music and are the most hostile foul-mouthed people around and I know some Christian who only listen to secular music and demonstrate Christ-like behaviour more than most people who call themselves Christians. With that said does it really matter what type of music a Christian listens to ( IF ITS NOT AFFECTING THERE WALK )

Is there a trend toward "fixing the Bible" (specifically when it comes to God's Ten Commandments, for the topic of this thread) -- where a sort of pick-and-choose even in one of the Ten Commandments that is admitted to be part of God's moral law - is "up for edit" or "up for grabs"? Is that even a thing?

Sunday Keeping Pastor - about Sabbath

Compare how that video starts out - as opposed to how it ends (Note how often it appears that someone will post on this thread without watching what that pastor in the short video said in his sermon)

If you don't like something the commandment says - such as "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD (YHWH)" is it ok to edit it?

What do you think?

Exodus 20:
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 For six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your cattle, or your resident who stays with you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Points to Gen 2:2-3 as the "made it holy" event in history

Gen 2:2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Ex 16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord:

And for 40 years on EXACTLY the 7th day -- no manna fell. The entire nation had the "exact day" of the Gen 2:2-3 event - correct as per the LORD (YHWH).

The very day to be remembered -- is the very detail in that command of God to edit/forget/cast-aside?

Is 56:6-8 gentiles specifically singled out for Sabbath keeping

Is 66:23 -- for all eternity after the cross in the New Earth "from Sabbath to Sabbath shall ALL mankind come before Me to worship"

================================

This is a short OP - I am hoping that those who respond to this thread can have the time to read the entire OP.

I saw this list written by Carl Sagan. Sounds good to me:

1. Wherever possible there must be independent confirmation of the “facts.”
2. Encourage substantive debate on the evidence by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view.
3. Arguments from authority carry little weight — “authorities” have made mistakes in the past. They will do so again in the future. Perhaps a better way to say it is that in science there are no authorities; at most, there are experts.
4. Spin more than one hypothesis. If there’s something to be explained, think of all the different ways in which it could be explained. Then think of tests by which you might systematically disprove each of the alternatives. What survives, the hypothesis that resists disproof in this Darwinian selection among “multiple working hypotheses,” has a much better chance of being the right answer than if you had simply run with the first idea that caught your fancy.
5. Try not to get overly attached to a hypothesis just because it’s yours. It’s only a way station in the pursuit of knowledge. Ask yourself why you like the idea. Compare it fairly with the alternatives. See if you can find reasons for rejecting it. If you don’t, others will.
6. Quantify. If whatever it is you’re explaining has some measure, some numerical quantity attached to it, you’ll be much better able to discriminate among competing hypotheses. What is vague and qualitative is open to many explanations. Of course there are truths to be sought in the many qualitative issues we are obliged to confront, but finding them is more challenging.
7. If there’s a chain of argument, every link in the chain must work (including the premise) — not just most of them.
8. Occam’s Razor. This convenient rule-of-thumb urges us when faced with two hypotheses that explain the data equally well to choose the simpler.
9. Always ask whether the hypothesis can be, at least in principle, falsified. Propositions that are untestable, unfalsifiable are not worth much. Consider the grand idea that our Universe and everything in it is just an elementary particle — an electron, say — in a much bigger Cosmos. But if we can never acquire information from outside our Universe, is not the idea incapable of disproof? You must be able to check assertions out. Inveterate skeptics must be given the chance to follow your reasoning, to duplicate your experiments and see if they get the same result.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley argued in separate campaign stops last week that extending clemency to Trump would be in the country’s best interest. Both had previously signaled they were leaning toward issuing a pardon, but their recent statements were the most definitive yet and left little room for doubt just weeks before the first nominating contests in January.

“I would pardon Trump if he is found guilty,” Haley told a crowd in Plymouth, N.H., on Thursday.

DeSantis, who has blamed Trump’s dominance in the polls in part on the string of criminal indictments, said Friday that he would pardon a convicted Trump because “we got to move on as a country.”

“It’s like Ford did to Nixon,” DeSantis said, referencing Gerald Ford’s 1974 pardon of disgraced former president Richard M. Nixon. “Because you just, you know, the divisions are just not in the country’s interest.”

[In contrast] A pardon for Trump, Christie said on Friday, would signal “two systems of justice: One for all of us and one for the most powerful.”

[Ramaswamy vowed to pardon Trump this summer.]

For auld lang syne, here's a thread from the past, citing scientific evidence, and made by an atheist:

Evidence for creationism

1. The universe exists
2. Current scientific evidence indicates that the universe began at a previous point in time (as opposed to always existing in its current state)
3. The Solar System and Earth also have definite starting points in time.
4. Current scientific evidence points to an large amount of fortituitous conditions to occur to support the formation and support of life long enough for the advancement to intelligence.
5. New species appear abruptly in the fossil record.

I am an atheist, but current knowledge in no way rules out deistic belief systems.

SOURCE

There are three arms of the Word of God known as the Tripod Balance of Truth. They are the Tradition that reflects God the Father; the Bible, God the Son; and the Magisterium (Magisterial Teachings), God the Holy Spirit. "Trinitarian Science", the pure science about God has made this now scientifically justified - an absolute truth. Tradition, Bible, and Magisterial Teaching are what are used to construct the building blocks of nature across the universe. Since the time of Christ, the Tradition and Magisterium have dominated the Christian space and ruled for 1500 years before the first Bible was manufactured for public use in 1546. The Bible had been extremely scarce. The CCB Catechism is relevant. Christ taught Tradition but the Apostles and Disciples wrote the Bible (New Testament).

If so, why then did he sacrifice Jesus, only for me (and probably many others) to have a disgraceful existence, filled with nothing but disgrace, poverty, illness, failure and hopelessness? It doesn't make sense, didn't Jesus say "I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly"? Why would God send his Son to die for me (and many others), so that I could live a mediocre life? And I am not only speaking in terms of material prosperity, but in a sense of spiritual blessings as well. Yes I am a Christian, and yes I do pray everyday and I practice my faith. Yet God has not come through for me. So many things have gone wrong in the last ten years for me that it has been like Hell on earth at times. Yet there is no hope of restoration or vindication for me. And there are so many things in my past that I cannot explain that do not make sense, there might've been times when God would speak to me or give me a sign, yet it was so rare and it still doesn't make sense, I cannot understand the meaning behind it or if it was even him or if I interpreted it incorrectly. Even when I make a sincere effort to turn from my sins and pray and seek God's presence, he does not grace me with his voice or his presence. I suppose I have to conclude that my life is of little value or importance to God and that he hates me for some mysterious reason that is beyond my understanding.

As 2023 comes to a close, FCA is reflecting on how God has blessed the ministry, as well as the coaches and athletes it serves worldwide. This year, FCA marked 69 years of staying true to the mission of leading every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church.
“The entire Fellowship of Christian Athletes team is thankful for the opportunities to do sports ministry every day,” said FCA President and CEO Shane Williamson. “Through our staff and leaders around the globe, we engage, equip and empower coaches and athletes to share the Gospel in all corners of the world. As our ministry continues to expand, we give all of the glory to God. For more than 69 years, we’ve rallied our team around the Great Commission and put God’s Word at the forefront of our plans. As we step back and review our past year, we’re humbled at what God has done.”
FCA has experienced tremendous growth and record-setting numbers during the 2023 year. While the ministry is more about touching the lives of coaches and athletes — one heart at a time — these figures show the incredible impact God has made through FCA.
51,730 people made faith decisions for Christ through a variety of FCA events, including Huddles, Camps, Fields of Faith and more.
FCA has exploded across the globe with ministry in 115 countries with 2,793 staff members being engaged, equipped and empowered to reach coaches and athletes.
FCA continued to grow Bible engagement efforts through its YouVersion Bible reading app partnership. The ministry currently has over 75 reading plans with over two million plan completions since launching in 2013.
For the immensely impactful and successful 2023 Camps season, FCA welcomed 110,676 coaches and athletes who attended 1,042 Camps across the country and around the world this summer.
FCA completed its 20th student-led and student-driven Fields of Faith events on October 11, taking place on athletic fields in the U.S. and globally, where 68,846 coaches, student-athletes, parents and community members worshiped together, heard from inspiring speakers, prayed and committed to read their Bible at 317 gatherings.
Globally, FCA reached coaches and athletes through 20,297 Huddles — 18,591 in the U.S. and 1,706 internationally. FCA distributed 230,247 Bibles this year and has distributed nearly three million Bibles around the world in the past 15 years.
69 years ago, FCA was officially chartered on November 10, 1954, in Norman, Oklahoma, after a young basketball coach named Don McClanen had a vision for a sports ministry seven years earlier. FCA has 16 consecutive 4-Star top ratings from Charity Navigator, America’s largest organization rating the fiscal management of charities. This puts FCA in the top 1% of all charities rated. As a faith-funded ministry, FCA gives thanks to the Lord for His provision.


When I started attending Tennessee Temple University in the 1980s, I became aware of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I thank Almighty God and praise Him for the blessings and salvation of souls which He has done through the FCA.

Hello and Shalom to all readers, thank you all for your support in 2023. Hope the LORD will keep me on this earth during this new year as well.

We have said our goodbye to 2023, with all of its adventures, problems, trials, and blessings. We should approach this new year of 2024 with anticipation as well, knowing that there will also be blessings, trials, and problems to face, yet God is in control of all things.

Perhaps we can picture God on a mountaintop and has 2024 in plain sight, and he turns his head back to look at 2023. He knows everything that happened in 2023 and he knows everything that WILL happen in 2024. He has you and me in plain sight as well, walking the path of 2024, day by day, week by week, month by month. He will guide us every step of the way. Like Joseph in Egypt, we will just have to trust HIM and leave the outcome in HIS hands.

Many people spend New Year's Eve with relatives. Some relatives come over on the 24th of December and stay until January 6th. Some just come over on December 25 and then return on January 1st. Families are different. Some are close, others are distant (both geographically and/or socially)

Some will have roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn, egg nog, hot apple pie. Some (perhaps in England I hear) will have roast geese or mutton, while the Grinch will be carving the roast Beast in Whoville for little Cindy LouWho and family. Others will just have Raman noodles and chicken nuggets, maybe wash them down with a Coke. Who can forget the Honey baked ham with brown sugar and cloves, unfortunately, it isn't kosher, but it tastes good.

So how about those "New Year's Resolutions?" Those "so-called" promises that you and I know won't be kept? How do you know you will keep them? Maybe you won't be alive on this earth to keep them! Something to think about. We are a heartbeat away from eternity. But...Maybe the LORD will keep us around on this planet for this new year. We can surely petition that request. So, how do we or should we approach 2024? Maybe something like the following?

"Heavenly Father. We come to you and thank you for the past year of 2023, with all of those problems, trials, and blessings. We thank you in advance for the problems, trials, and blessings you will have in store for us in 2024. We ask you to help us with our spiritual maturity, to grow more in our faith, and in trusting you. Help us to know your written Word better and walk with your Living WORD. Help us to be a blessing to those around us, our families and neighbors, help us to love our neighbors as our own selves. Help us to put Deuteronomy 6 into practice. We ask you to keep our souls and spirit within our bodies for one more year. Help us to follow your perfect will in our lives in 2024. In Yeshua/Jesus' name...Amen"

There are no promises in this approach, just requests. I think this is the best way to approach 2024.


Blessings to all of you,

Rabbi and Mrs. Ben Avraham

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The Randle cycle is a new thing for me, but it seems important for our dietary decisions. So I am sharing it here, with other health enthusiasts.

Isaiah 32:1-8 A ruler and his ministers will reign in righteousness and justice, they will be as a refuge from a storm, like shade from a great rock in a thirsty land.
Jeremiah 3:5, Jeremiah 30:21, Hosea 1:11
Then, those who see, will see clearly and the minds of the heedless people will come to understanding and knowledge. Isaiah 29:23-24, Isaiah 32:3-4

No longer will the fool be called noble or villains be considered honourable All those types will be shown for what they are. Their plans are evil and they deny justice to the poor and needy. But, he who is of noble mind, will make good plans and stand firm in them. Ecclesiastes 8:5b, Philippians 4:8

Isaiah 32:9-14 You complacent people; listen to what I have to say: you may be carefree now, but after many years, your vintage will fail. Be terrified, you without a care, you women at ease will go into mourning – for My people’s Land will be forsaken and deserted, an open pasture for the animals. Zechariah 1:14-18, Amos 1 & 2;1-5, Psalms 60:1-5, Joel 1:1-20, Jeremiah 10:18
Isaiah 32:15-17 Until a Spirit from on high is lavished upon us. Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 37:14
Then the wilderness will become a garden land, everywhere, fertile fields. Justice and righteousness will fill the Land, peace and quiet trust will prevail for that time.

Isaiah 32:18-20 And My people will live in a tranquil country, dwelling in undisturbed peace and security. It will be cool on the slopes of the forested hills, and the towns will lie peacefully in the plains.* Happy you will be tilling and sowing everywhere beside water, your herds and flocks grazing freely. Isaiah 49:9-13, Hosea 2:14-23, Ezekiel 36:33-36, Amos 9:13-15
Ref: Revised English Bible. Some verses abridged.

Chapter 32 of Isaiah, describes beautifully, how the Lord’s Land is cleared in order for His righteous people. the faithful Christians; to live there, as promised to the Patriarchs, and for them to be a “light to the nations”. They will rebuild the Temple, Zechariah 6:15, and send out 144,000 missionaries to proclaim the coming Kingdom of Jesus. Isaiah 66:19, Revelation 14:1-7

Verses 1-8 These verses describe how the Lord’s people will live in justice and in the knowledge of truth, when they settle into all of the holy Land. Jeremiah 31:27-34

V. 9-14 Is the result of the forthcoming, terrifying, Lord’s Day of vengeance and wrath, the prophesied judgement of fire mentioned over 100 times in the Bible, that will most severely affect all the Middle East leaving it ‘forsaken and deserted’. Jeremiah 9:10

This has not happened as described in the past, but it will be the result of a huge C.M.E. fireball ejected from the sun and the rest of the world will suffer severe infrastructure damage and deaths. Jeremiah 25:15-33, Isaiah 2:19-21 It quickly passes, leaving the world to recover and the Land of Israel is soon regenerated. Ezekiel 36:8, Joel 2:21-24

V. 15-20 When the Lord’s faithful Christian people are called out of whichever nation they belong to now, Revelation 5:9-10, they will emigrate to the new country of Beulah, Isaiah 62:4, that is: to all that Land promised to Abraham. Then the Lord will send His Spirit upon them and they will live in peace and security. Ezekiel 37:14

Note*; The translation differences of verse 19, some Bible versions say the towns are ‘low’ or ‘levelled’, but the R.E.Bible renders it correctly and in the right context.